We are now just one month away from the start of the 2015 PokerStars Isle of Man International Chess Tournament, sponsored by PokerStars and the Scheinberg family, with assistance from the Isle of Man Department of Economic Development.
In the Masters (a 9 round Swiss open), we currently have 102 entries from 27 countries, including 79 titled players of whom 37 are Grandmasters and 25 are International Masters, a big increase on last year. With a likely capacity of 120 players in the Masters, there are now only 18 places remaining.
I’m still receiving inquiries about possible conditions. I confirm that the conditions pot is fully allocated, apart from funds set aside for one or two players in or around the world’s top 30, places that may not be filled until the latter rounds of this month’s World Cup. For Grandmasters with more modest ratings, there is a waiting list in place in case of any late withdrawals.
We are again sharing the Villa Marina with PokerStars’ UK & Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT), Isle of Man Tournament which runs from 30 September to 4 October, overlapping with the first weekend of the chess. This again gives us the opportunity to run a combined chess and poker event, the brainchild of WGM Jennifer Shahade, PokerStars’ Mind Sports Ambassador. The chess/poker event has been added to the official UKIPT Tournament Schedule, to be played over the evening of Friday 2 October starting at 6pm:http://www.ukipt.com/assets/files/schedule/season5/iom/UKIPT5_IOM_Schedule.pdf
Combined Chess and Poker Event
Friday 2 October
6pm start time (no late registration)
Buy-in: £150 + £15
The event begins with a 6-round Swiss chess tournament starting at 6pm, with a time control of 5 minutes plus a 2 second increment. This is expected to last about three hours and will take place in the Villa Marina Promenade Suite. This year there will be some modest prize money for the chess element: 1st £300, 2nd £200, 3rd £100.
Immediately after a short break for logistics, the poker element will begin in the Royal Hall.
The champion is determined in a No Limit Hold’em tournament with 15 minute levels. The default stack for the poker tournament is 7,000 chips but you add bonus chips based on your performance in the chess tournament. Therefore, it’s possible for a player to score 0/6 in the chess, yet still win the overall event.
This format again promises to be very interesting with the participation of a number of top chess players, as well as some very strong all-rounders. Names already confirmed for the event include GM Mickey Adams, GM Laurent Fressinet and GM David Howell, as well as two players with PokerStars Super Nova Elite status, GM Radoslaw Jedynak and IM Simon Ansell.
If you’re aged 18 or over and are interested in playing in this event, please get in touch and I’ll liaise with our friends at the UKIPT.
Alan Ormsby
3 September 2015
FIDE Grand Swiss: Round 11 report
Published: 06 Nov 2023
Round 11 Report
John Saunders reports: a pulsating last round of the 2023 FIDE Grand Swiss at the Villa Marina, Douglas, Isle of Man, saw a remarkable victory for Vidit Gujrathi, who defeated Alexandr Predke to score 8½ out of 11 and take first place despite a first-round loss. This stunning result qualifies the 29-year-old Indian grandmaster for the 2024 World Championship Candidates tournament in Toronto, Canada, next April. The second qualifying place in the Candidates went to Hikaru Nakamura who drew his game with Arjun Erigaisi to finish second in the tournament with 8 points. Indian chess celebrated a double success as first place in the FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss was taken by Rameshbabu Vaishali who drew with Batkhuyag Munguntuul to score 8½ out of 11, ahead of Anna Muzychuk in second place on 8 and Tan Zhongyi in third place on 7½. Vaishali had secured her place in the 2024 Women’s Candidates with a round to spare, and Tan Zhongyi took the second place since Anna Muzychuk had already qualified for the FIDE Women’s Candidates from the FIDE Women’s World Cup.
FIDE Grand Swiss: Round 10 Report
Published: 05 Nov 2023
Round 10 Report
John Saunders reports: round 10, the penultimate round of the 2023 FIDE Grand Swiss and Women’s Grand Swiss, was a remarkable feast of chess as the top seven boards in the open tournament ended decisively, while six of the ten top boards in the Women’s Grand Swiss ended similarly. At the end of the round, Hikaru Nakamura, Vidit Gujrathi and Andrey Esipenko lead the FIDE Grand Swiss on 7½/10, while three further players, Arjun Erigaisi, Alexandr Predke and Vincent Keymer are tucked in behind the leaders on 7, with everything to play for in the final round. In the FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss, Rameshbabu Vaishali remains the sole leader on 8/10, Anna Muzychuk is on 7½, and Batkhuyag Munguntuul is on 7. The fact that Anna Muzychuk is already qualified for the 2024 Women’s Candidates’ Tournament in Toronto next April means that Rameshbabu Vaishali knows she too is now certain of one of the two qualification spots for the same event as only one player can now reach her score.
FIDE Grand Swiss: Round 9 Report
Published: 04 Nov 2023
Round 9 Report
John Saunders reports: Round nine of the FIDE Grand Swiss, played at the Villa Marina, Douglas, Isle of Man on 3 November 2023, saw the group of leaders increase from four to six. Those six are Fabiano Caruana, Bogdan-Daniel Deac, Vidit Gujrathi, Andrey Esipenko, Hikaru Nakamura (who beat Ivan Cheparinov) and Parham Maghsoodloo (who beat Alexey Sarana). They have 6½/9, with a further six players half a point behind them: Alexandr Predke, Yuriy Kuzubov, Arjun Erigaisi, Vincent Keymer, Samuel Sevian and Vladimir Fedoseev on 6. The FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss now has a sole leader, Rameshbabu Vaishali, who beat Antoaneta Stefanova, and leads on 7/9, with Tan Zhongyi and Anna Muzychuk trailing her on 6½. Two rounds remain. Round 10 is scheduled for the normal time of 1430 GMT on Saturday 4 November.
